ComEd West Central Reliability Project

In early 2016, ComEd proposed a West Central Reliability Project, which includes the installation of a new 138kV electric line between substations in Bartlett and Itasca. The high-voltage line is proposed to run through Roselle, along the south side of the I-390 corridor. See ComEd's proposed project map for route details.

ComEd held several open house meetings in January and February 2016 to provide details on the $58 million project, including pole heights, pole placements, and the impact of the project on the surrounding communities. The proposal calls for steel poles that could be up to 170 feet high that may be located adjacent to residential property.

ComEd originally announced that it would file a request for approval for the proposed project with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) in March 2016, however officials from the utility announced that their timeline had been delayed. As of January 2018, ComEd officials have stated that there is no timeline for moving forward with an ICC filing.

Coalition of Communities Formed to Oppose Project

A coalition of communities including Roselle, Schaumburg, Hanover Park, Itasca, and Elk Grove Village have met repeatedly since the proposed project was announced in an effort to develop a coordinated and multi-community opposition it. This coalition met with expert legal counsel that have previously litigated cases before the ICC (which regulates utility projects in Illinois), and lobbyist/consulting firms that have specific experience developing advocacy strategies. This work is being done in anticipation of opposing the project by intervening in ComEd's case when it does appear before the ICC.

Legislation Introduced Requiring the High-voltage Line to Run Underground

Illinois Commerce Commission Regulates Utility Projects

The ICC regulates projects proposed by utilities in Illinois and must approve ComEd's plan for the West Central Reliability Project before construction may begin. The ICC is not currently accepting comments on the West Central Reliability Project, but will resume doing so when ComEd files its case.

The purpose of requiring ComEd to obtain certification through the ICC is to prevent unnecessary duplication of facilities and to protect the public from inadequate service and higher rates. When the petition for the project is pending, the ICC may hold hearings to evaluate interventions by individual property owners, concerned citizen groups, homeowners associations, and affected municipalities. Details about hearings will be posted here as they become available.

Project & Coordinated Response Timeline

February 6, 2019: ComEd's Director of External affairs followed up regarding the January letter to the CEO that the utility's project leadership development team has said that no specific date has been established for a filing with the ICC.

January 14, 2019: The Coalition of Communities sent a letter to ComEd CEO Joseph Dominguez to reaffirm opposition to the proposed West Central Reliability Project in its current form, with the understanding that ComEd may seek regulatory approval from the ICC sometime in early 2019.

January 25, 2018: ComEd's Director of External Affairs communicated to Roselle officials that the utility's project leadership development team said that no specific date has been established for a filing with the ICC.

September 21, 2017: ComEd's Director of External Affairs communicated to Roselle officials that the project was being pushed back to late 2018 or early 2019. The Coalition of Communities impacted by the proposed project would be provided advance notice of any future timeline for a filing with the ICC.

June 27, 2017: The Coalition of Communities sent a letter to ComEd's Director of External Affairs requesting information related to the proposed project's status, the project's background and necessity, current design and alternative design options, and a request to other federal, state and local permits required for the project.

February 21, 2017: ComEd representatives met with the Village managers from the coalition of communities formed to oppose the proposed West Central Reliability Project to discuss alternatives for its proposed high-voltage power line through Roselle along the south side of I-390, and what the costs would be to those alternatives. Several alternative options identified by ComEd included installing the line from Bartlett to Itasca on shorter but more frequent poles, creating redundancies from other Bartlett substations, installing the line in an underground conduit, and installing the line in an underground tunnel. ComEd states that these options are all much more expensive than the utility’s original proposal to install the 138kV overhead transmission line. Officials from ComEd reiterated that they are required by state statute to pursue the least cost option for the project, but they are willing to delay the project while the coalition of communities continues to identify funding sources for the higher cost alternative of undergrounding the project. ComEd officials indicated that they will not move forward with the approval process for the West Central Reliability Project until after they reengage officials from the coalition communities in September 2017, when they will discuss additional funding options or other alternatives to what has been proposed. Under ComEd’s new proposed schedule, the utility said that it would file with the Illinois Commerce Commission for approval for the project sometime in 2018. The new proposed timeline calls for construction of the project to run in late 2018 through 2019. In the interim, the coalition of communities will continue its opposition of the original proposal for the project by seeking legislative options and working to identify alternative funding sources for the undergrounding of the line.

October 18, 2016: Coalition officials met with ComEd representatives to to ensure transparency from ComEd about the proposed project and to better understand the evaluation process for all potential alternatives to the project. ComEd officials said that they are continuing to delay their West Central Reliability Project beyond the initial six-month postponement that they announced back on March 18. Although ComEd has not released an updated timeline for the project, officials from the utility indicated that they may hold additional public open house meetings about the project in early 2017. ComEd is required by law to hold informational public meetings in counties affected by utility projects within the six months prior to filing a proposal with the ICC. The coalition continues to work with its legal and consulting teams to challenge ComEd to consider all alternatives, including burying the lines or identifying other routes for the line out of the Bartlett substation.

May 10, 2016 - Legislation requiring the high-voltage lines in ComEd's proposed West Central Reliability Project to be run underground was introduced in the Illinois Senate. The status of Senate Bill 3425, which was proposed by State Senator Laura Murphy, is available on the Illinois General Assembly website.

May 4, 2016 - Legislation requiring the high-voltage lines in ComEd's proposed West Central Reliability Project to be run underground was introduced in the Illinois House of Representatives. The status of House Bill 6570, which was proposed by State Representative Fred Crespo, is available on the Illinois General Assembly website.

March 21, 2016 - Nearly 400 people attended the Community Information Meeting hosted by the Village Board in Roselle to hear an update on the coordinated response from the coalition of communities (Roselle, Schaumburg, Hanover Park, Itasca, and Elk Grove Village). The presentation from the community meeting is available for download (PDF).

March 18, 2016 - ComEd representatives notified Roselle officials that the filing of their proposed West Central Reliability Project with the ICC will be delayed by at least six months.

March 14, 2016 - Roselle Village Board adopted a resolution authorizing the Village Administrator to expend an amount not to exceed $100,000 to support the legal, lobbying, legislative, or other lawful actions directed by the Village Board to oppose ComEd's proposed West Central Reliability Project.

February 27, 2016 - Township of Schaumburg hosted a community Information meeting at Schaumburg Township Hall.

February 18, 2016 - Regional stakeholders meeting held (officials from 6 affected communities, IDOT, Township and County officials, and ComEd officials) to discuss updates and next steps.

January 11, 2016 - A regional stakeholders was meeting held, including officials from the 6 affected communities, IDOT, Township and County officials, and ComEd officials to provide and overview and update on the proposed project.

January 5, 14, 19 & 27, 2016 - ComEd hosted Open House Meetings at the Schaumburg Park District Community Recreation Center and at American Legion Post 1084 in Roselle to introduce the proposed project to the public.

December 14 & 15, 2015 - ComEd hosted a Stakeholder Informational Meeting with officials from the 6 communities potentially affected by the proposed project (Bartlett, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Itasca, Roselle, Schaumburg) to introduce the project. ComEd stated that it expects to file a case for the project with the ICC in the spring of 2016.